By Sammie Jones-
A comedy night highlighting Oxfam’s work with women around the world has been canceled in the wake of the sex allegations facing the charity.
Going ahead with the night celebrating women would be “inappropriate”, the charity said, as investigations continue into its handling of incidents including the alleged use of prostitutes by crisis workers in Haiti seven years ago.
Comedians including Kerry Godliman, Sindhu Vee, and Rosie Jones had been due to perform at London’s Leicester Square Theatre on March 8, to mark International Women’s Day.
Bosses pulled the plug on Stand up for Women, which was scheduled on March 8 at the Leicester Square Theatre in London over fears it would be ‘inappropriate’ in the wake of the damaging sleaze allegations. The International Women’s Day event was billed as a chance for ‘Britain’s funniest women to raise the roof’ in front of a ‘VIP packed audience’.
It was scheduled to be the third year of the Women Stand Up event.
A spokeswoman for Oxfam said: “We decided to cancel because we don’t feel it is appropriate at the moment.
“In the current climate, we feel it would be inappropriate to hold our comedy night.”
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Oxfam said it is liaising with the venue and anyone who has bought tickets will be refunded.
As the tickets were being sold by an external company the charity was not able to comment on how many had been sold.
The charity has been facing a serious backlash from sponsors, celebrities, and donors following reports that its aid workers used prostitutes and sexually assaulted minors.
Visa and Marks & Spencer have both spoken out against ‘abhorrent’ and ‘deeply concerning’behavior by Oxfam staff.
The Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme has threatened to stop its children working in the charity’s shops following allegations of abuse across its store network.
And more than 1,200 people have canceled their monthly donations to Oxfam after reports emerged of its aid workers using prostitutes.
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Minnie Driver became the first of the charity’s global ambassadors to break ranks and quit in protest.
The actress is stepping down after 20 years, saying she was horrified by the allegations.
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